A WORD FOR TODAY, November 13, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 13, 2024
Lectionary Scriptures for November 17, 2024, Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-13
The church year calendar follows through the story of God in Christ Jesus from beginning to end to beginning again. During Advent, we see the coming of the Light into the world, the waitful expectation of God’s people as they long for the anticipated fulfillment of His promises. The promise is fulfilled in a manger as Jesus Christ is born at Christmas. The light is given to the world at Epiphany, when the wise men look for the promised one as led by a miraculous star. Lent leads us through the life and ministry of Jesus until Holy Week. On Palm Sunday we see the victorious procession of Jesus into Jerusalem as the crowds hail Him king. By the end of Holy Week, Jesus is arrested, tried and crucified. Easter Sunday brings new hope and resurrection. The Easter season focuses on the joy of the resurrection and the new life in Christ. Pentecost ushers in the Church era as the Holy Spirit is showered upon believers. The season of Pentecost is a time of learning how to be Christian, of seeing the ordinary and practical ways we live out our faith in the world. These past few weeks we have been drawn back into the last moments of Jesus, not to relive Holy Week and Easter in the autumn, but rather to hear Jesus as He tells us of what will come.
This is the last ordinary Sunday of the current church year. Next week we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. For today, however, Jesus presents to us a warning. Is the warning one of what is to come, a prophecy of the future destruction of the world and the end of all time? In some ways what Jesus has to say in today’s Gospel text is a glimpse into the future. After all, Jesus was right to say that the temple would one day come tumbling down. Yet, we are quick to take the rest of the passage and juxtapose it against the headlines in our newspapers, certain that we are the generation of whom He was speaking.
Last week Jesus called our attention to one small woman giving one very small offering to the temple treasury. This treasury was used for the care and upkeep of the temple, to make it even more beautiful with every gift. From the visual representations I have seen, the temple must have been a magnificent and imposing structure. The light-colored stones were well cut and smooth which shone in the light of the sun. It was such a large structure that it could be seen from far away, glimpsed by travelers as they approached the city.
The widow’s mites were worth so little that they were useless to those who kept the treasury. How much could a penny buy in today’s dollars? It is so worthless that most of us will not even bother to bend down to pick one up off the ground. It would not have bought her much, but she couldn’t even feed herself with nothing. Yet, she stood in a long line to drop in her coins because she thought God needed or expected it from her. We don’t know how she came to be poor; perhaps she was a widow with a health problem who was bled dry by shyster doctors, or the scribes devoured her meager possessions for their own well-being. She was a widow, very vulnerable and unimportant. The temple treasury could have (should have?) supported the needs of the widows, but instead it was used to decorate a building decorated to “honor” God.
Things aren’t much different today. Who often sends offerings to televangelist preachers? It is often the elderly, particularly widows, who are unable to get to church on Sunday morning. They rely on television for their spiritual welfare. They send every spare cent for the care and upkeep of a church that will never provide the loving touch and care that they need. The paster rarely even knows that they exist.
Mark tells us that the disciples were very impressed by what they saw at the temple. “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!” The tiny widow’s mites are made even smaller when compared to the huge stones and magnificent buildings of the temple. Jesus told them that what they saw would be useless. “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.” This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed.
It must have been disheartening for the disciples to hear Jesus’ prophecy. Jesus had been teaching them about the difference between the kingdom on earth and the kingdom of heaven, but they believed that the temple was the dwelling place of God. Where would He go if there were no temple? Would He leave them? If the temple were destroyed, where would they go to learn and worship? Where would they go to be near God?
They were curious. They were afraid. We think being physically near God will make life easier, but the reality is that dwelling in God’s presence actually brings persecution, hardship, and sometimes even death. The apocalyptic nature of our texts keeps our eyes not on the future hardships that will be, but rather on the God who will be with us through it all.
I wrote this paragraph eighteen years ago: “It has been an interesting week in American politics: historical, transformational, upsetting for some and elating for others. It is a week that has been predicted, previewed and anticipated by many. No matter what people thought, there was no way to know for sure the outcome of this year’s elections; some of the contests were too close to really call. Though there were many - on both sides - who talked with great confidence even into the late hours of Election Day about their victory, it was impossible to know until the last vote was counted the final outcome.” 2006 was not the year of a Presidential election but isn’t it interesting that this paragraph is as relevant today as it was then. At this writing, some of the congressional contests are still too close to call, and there are many who are stunned by the outcome for good or for bad.
Those who were elected and those who were not are already talking about the future. What must we accomplish? What should we do next? What will happen tomorrow? Pundits are already suggesting what the next election will hold! I predict it will be more of the same (which is probably the only prediction I’ll ever get right!)
Every generation has tried to predict the future, to determine what will happen long before we can possibly know. Some may claim to have supernatural insight, but for most of us the predictions are nothing but guesses based on opinions or wishes. Even those who claim to be prophets are usually wrong. Many predictions have a sense of self-fulfilling prophecy; they hope if they say it confidently or often enough then will happen as they expect. We certainly saw this happening in the current political season. Some call it the power of positive thinking: if I say it loud enough and often enough, my words will come true. Yet, it doesn’t always come out as we hope. There are some things that are simply beyond our control, some things we can’t make happen with our own power.
This passage for this week from Daniel is a difficult one, not because it has something difficult to say, but because generations of Christians have read these words and interpreted the times and the places according to their expectations, opinions, and wishes. Many do not consider the symbolism in apocalyptic literature, seeing it instead as a timeline of history, whether from the past or into the future. Should we be interpreting the words to fit into our time and place?
There are politicians and politicos who spend all their time discussing the possibilities of the next election, often beginning the very moment the previous one is finished! In the religious sphere, there are many who spend their time discussing and interpreting the possibilities of the Bible’s apocalyptic texts. Our task is not so much to guess what is going to happen, but rather to embrace the grace of God that is found in the words we read in the scriptures.
The apocalyptic texts found in both Daniel and Mark were not written to foretell specific historical events, but are meant to give courage, strength, and hope to suffering people of every age. There were already false messiahs in Jesus’ day. There were already wars and rumors of wars. There were already earthquakes and famines. It would have been very easy for the disciples who were left alone after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to follow another voice. It would have been very easy for the community of faith established by Jesus to wander down a wrong path. It happened to the Thessalonians, many of whom thought that the return of Jesus was so imminent that they could stop living. It has happened to many Christians from the beginning of the Church. Everyone expects Jesus to come again in their lifetime.
Jesus warned the disciples and the believers of every age not to follow the wrong path. Wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines will always be a part of our life. We will suffer because of these things, and we will be persecuted because of the way we respond. We are called to be faithful, to keep our eyes focused on Christ, doing that which He has called us to do. Yet, as we deal with our everyday lives, especially extraordinary times like we are living in today, we think we have to live as if we are at the end of all the ages. There is some truth to this, but only because our end could come at any moment. Yes, Jesus could come today, but He wants us to live while we wait, not wait instead of living.
We sometimes need help making decisions, but it is often hard to find someone we can trust to give us a good answer. Sometimes we don’t like the answer they give because we are hoping they will agree with what we want. I’ve seen this happen with my children. Even as adults they have come to me for help, but when they don’t like my answer and go their own way. I’m sure I did the same with my own parents. I am glad that they come to me, and I wish they would trust me always, but I admit that I can be wrong! I have my own experience and success; I have also failed. My children live in a different time and place. There are times when they do trust and heed my advice. However, it can be very disheartening to see a negative reaction to my advice, especially when we can see how their choices are leading them down the wrong path.
I wonder if that is how God feels sometimes. After all, we are so good at asking God for the things we need, but what we really want is for God to answer with the things we want. When God’s answer is not what we want it to be, we go our own way. The psalmist writes, “Preserve me, God, for I take refuge in you.” Is this really true? Is this what we really mean? Do we really take refuge in God?
It is when we find refuge in God, truly trusting Him, rejecting the “gods” of this world that we find true joy and peace. Unfortunately, we spend most of our time chasing after what we think is best. Our answers become more important than God even though we know He can and will do even better. We say we want to hear the voice of God, but when He begins speaking, we realize that the ways of the world fit much better into our plans.
Getting our way, going according to our own point of view, will never bring us joy. There might be a superficial happiness that lasts a moment, but it quickly fades away. We might feel safe relying on the advice that goes against God’s will for us, but in the end our security rests not in the strength or power of the earth but in our humble submission to God’s strength and power. There we will experience life. As we hear God’s voice and follow Him, we will find true peace in the refuge of his love.
In the beginning verses of this epistle passage, the writer of Hebrews tells us how the priests did the same thing over and over and over again to no avail. They entered the Holy Place with the blood of animals which did nothing to alleviate the sin that brought pain and suffering to our lives and the world. There might be forgiveness for a moment, but there was never any assurance for tomorrow. Jesus Christ changed all that. His death on the cross was permanent. His forgiveness is eternal. While we will have to repeatedly dust the cobwebs out of our lives, we can live with the assurance that no matter what should happen today, we have the mercy of God which leads to eternal life through Christ Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews also talks about rejection of the Church on earth, not only by outsiders, but even by believers. We are searching for perfection, and this often manifests in our displeasure with every church, so we hop from one to another, hoping that the next congregation will not be filled with hypocrites and sinners. Unfortunately, there is no perfect church because there are no perfect Christians. We are all sinners in need of the Savior, which is why our offerings are never lasting. We fail, our offerings fail, and our relationships fail. We when hop from one place or person or church or situation to another, the search becomes so disappointing that we give up, choosing to live outside the fellowship of believers.
Our relationship with God is not dependent on our relationships with people; we can know and experience God through our personal study, prayer, and worship. However, our own imperfection makes a separate relationship with God shaky. We have doubts, so our faith wavers. We face disappointment, so our hope fades. Love is fleeting and lost, so we turn away from the very place we would find true love. Faith, hope, and love is the foundation of our relationship with God and these things are hard to grasp without some visible and tangible manifestation for us to see, hear, taste, touch and know. We need others to help us see clearly, to keep us on a good path, to share God’s grace, and to raise voices in prayer and worship with us. The visible manifestation of God’s grace is found in the Church, not hidden away and alone. We have confidence in the promises of God through faith, hope, and love, and these three are magnified as we live in fellowship with other Christians.
We need one another. This is especially true when we talk about the questions of what will come tomorrow.
If you were given an envelope with the exact day and time of your death, would you open it? I think most people would say “No,” but we are all curious about the future. I wonder how the answer would change if the envelope held the exact day and time of Jesus’ return. People have constantly tried to determine when this will happen. Just like Daniel, the book of Revelation is interpreted to be a timeline of God’s plan the last days. People have tried to line up modern events with the text; someone in every generation for the last two thousand years have insisted that the time in “NOW.” Of course, just like them, we think we are the generation who will see it happen. I admit that I would rejoice to see the coming of Jesus, but modern “prophets” are not the first and many in the past two thousand years have been disappointed when their predictions did not come true.
When our Sunday school class did a study of the Book of Revelation a few years ago, we looked at the parallels between Daniel and John’s vision of the end time. These texts are difficult because we want them to fit into our understanding. We want them to fulfill our predictions. We want them to mean what we want them to mean. Generations of Christians have read the words and interpreted them according to their desires, defining the times and places to fit how they see the world. So far, everyone has been wrong. I always joke that every time someone makes a prediction, God says, “Well, I can’t do it then!”
As we near the end of the Church year, with Christ the King Sunday and the beginning of Advent, we turn our thoughts to the promise of Christ’s return. The passage from Mark has a prophetic voice, and we hear it speaking to us specifically. The words almost sound like they could be taken right out of the headlines from our newspapers. There are constantly wars or rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and false messiahs. But the same could be said for every generation that has lived since the words were written. Jesus spoke those words to people who thought that it was imminent. The first Christians thought it was imminent. False messiahs were rampant. Some were even killed by the Romans and the Jewish authorities. There were Zealots determined to fight until Israel was freed from Roman oppression. There was a communication network; there were traveling caravans and religious pilgrims that brought news from the four corners of the known world which would have included stories of earthquake, famine, and wars. There was a note of prophecy in Jesus’ words: the temple was destroyed just a few decades later.
The disciples wanted more details. They were curious. They wanted to open the envelope. When would it happen? How would it happen? What will be the signs? We want the same answers. However, Jesus wants us to live for today rather than worry about what will happen tomorrow.
When the disciples asked to know the hour, Jesus told them to beware and be aware. He told them not be alarmed but to believe. He warned them that some will claim to be “I AM” but they should not follow the false prophets. They were to trust God. The things they see would just be the beginning. Jesus warned that there would be persecution. The hope of this apocalyptic text is that the one who endures to the end, who believes, will be saved. Jesus warns us that it will be bad, but the Son of Man will come again.
We don’t know when the end will happen, but Jesus calls us to a life of faith and watchfulness. We are to live according to God’s Word in faith and live according to the commandments to love God and our neighbors. “Beware and be aware,” Jesus tells us. He warns us to be careful who we believe and who we follow. Not all who claim to speak in the name of Jesus Christ are true. Some will be led astray. Some will willingly follow the false prophets because the promises seem so real. Some will follow because the path is one they would rather take. Our only hope is the promise that God will set things right.
If today were the last day, what would matter? Is there something that we need to do? False prophets and false messiahs will call people to action. “Follow me and you’ll be saved.” “Go to this place.” “Do this thing.” Works righteousness requires action for salvation, but Christian faith is different. In the days of Jesus, the priests worked day and night sacrificing offerings of every kind to cover the sins of God’s people, working for their forgiveness. When the priests of old took blood to the altar day after day and year after year it was worthless, “...but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Jesus offered once and for all the blood of the sacrifice that brought salvation to the world forever. The forgiveness from Christ is lasting. It is eternal. There need be no more sacrifice for sins today or ever. We need not win the victory again, and neither must Christ because He has already won.
We find peace through Christ. By His blood, God’s people are invited to dwell in the presence of God. Jesus was no ordinary priest. He was no ordinary messiah. He is the Son of God, sent to save the world. His promise was not that the world would be different. There will still be wars and rumors of wars. We still need to be comforted as we are persecuted for our faith. We still suffer at the hands of those who do not know God. But we can live in hope for what is to come, dwell in God’s grace and look forward to the day when we will dwell with God eternally.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to live a different life. We are called to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering because God is faithful. Jesus warned the disciples not to make them afraid, but to remind them that God can, has, and will overcome it all. God is nearby. We don’t need a Temple to be close to God. He is not lost when the walls tumble down. Rather, He is set free from human constraints to be the God who is Creator, Redeemer and Comforter. We can experience His presence in the fellowship we have with one another.
The Psalmist understood the lesson Jesus was teaching His disciples. He knew that apart from God he had no good thing, that God alone was his refuge. He knew the joy and peace that comes from trusting in God rather than the things of this world. “You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.” This is the lesson that will keep us through the hard times. Faith that God is faithful to all His promises will help us endure to the end.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org